Embedded Files
Objectives
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Transcribe chord progressions that use chord inversions as part of ascending and descending stepwise bass motion and as pedal tones.
Improvise a melody over the lament schema and other stepwise and pedal basslines.
Demonstrate further proficiency in sight-reading rhythms and melodies in asymmetrical meters.
Preparation for Class
Preparation for Class
Read:
Read:
Hearing Inverted Triads (Cleland & Dobrea-Grindahl, Developing Musicianship through Aural Skills) - Just read p. 137
Explore
Explore
Build a few progressions from the lesson on basslines (e.g. i-bVII-bVI-V or I-IV64-I-IV64) in a chord player and practice singing the bassline of the progression and arpeggiating the chords.
The "Second Inversions" Song
David Newman, from the album The Well-Trained Ear (2019)
Find the lyrics and audio for the song here. Sing along to get the sound of different types of second inversion triads in your ears.
In-Class Activities
In-Class Activities
Improvisation
Improvisation
Rhythmic Improvisation (Asymmetrical Meters): Continued practice from Unit 3-5.
Melodic Improvisation over Stepwise & Static Basslines: Improvise a melody over the following progressions. Links are provided for backing tracks. Try arpeggiating each chord first, using solfège until you've internalized which scale degrees are in each chord. If you need a visual guide, create a chord grid using the grids in previous lessons as models. As an added challenge, try adding some 2:3 polyrhythms and syncopations into your improvisation.
| i |♭VII |♭VI | V | in A minor or | i | i42 |♭VI | V7 | in F minor
| I | V6 | vi I64 | IV V | or | I | V6 | IV6 I64 | IV V | in C major
| I | iii64 | vi | IV | in D major
| I | ii | I6 | IV | V7 | (an irregular 5-bar phrase) in E major
| I | V64 | I6 | IV V | in G major
| I | IV64 | I | IV64 | in Bb major or | i | iv64 | i | iv64 | in Bb minor
Sight Reading
Sight Reading
Sight-Singing (Skips in IV and V): Continue practice sight-reading melodies in all sections.
Also try singing the "Inverted Chords" song by David Newman. The link provides access to the audio and sing-along lyrics.
Rhythm Sight-Reading: Continue practice sight-reading rhythms in the sections "5/8 and 5/4 Meters" and "Other Meters with Unequal Beats."
Aural ID and Dictation
Aural ID and Dictation
Transcription of "Shallow": Work through a transcription of "Shallow" from A Star is Born. Break the song into sections. Start by transcribing the bassline, using only whole, half, and quarter notes to show the harmonic rhythm of the bass. Then, work out the chords. Finally, transcribe the melody. Listen for stepwise ascending and descending basslines that incorporate inversions. What do the chord inversions add to the song?
Instructor Note: There's a solution on the instructor companion site.
Transcription of "My Guitar Gently Weeps": Transcribe the first verse of the song up to the lyrics "Still my guitar gently weeps." Transcribe the bassline using only whole notes to show the harmonic rhythm. Then transcribe the chords and finally the melody. Discuss the progression in the context of the lyrics.
Instructor Note: There's a solution on the instructor companion site.
Theory Anthology: See the theory anthology for more examples that use stepwise ascending, stepwise descending, and pedal bass lines for transcription practice.
Additional Practice
Additional Practice
Auralia:
Meter Recognition: Levels 4a–4c
Pop Chord Progressions: Level 7, 8a
Rhythm Dictation: Level 12
Musition:
Rhythm Tapping: Levels 10a, 10b
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